Propolol Abuse: 30s Man Arrested After Driving Under Influence and Crashing into Streetlight

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[Herald Economy — Reporter Kim Jin] A man who allegedly injected himself with propofol obtained illegally, then struck a streetlight and fled while driving, has been arrested and turned over to prosecutors.

Gyeonggi Uijeongbu Police said on the 28th that they arrested and referred a man in his 30s, identified only as A, to prosecutors on the 26th on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act.

Police say A purchased propofol illegally from a veterinary clinic, injected it and possessed the drug. He was driving on a road in Minrak-dong, Uijeongbu, at about 3:30 p.m. on the 17th when he hit a streetlight and fled; responding officers later located and detained him.

Officers found A asleep in a car parked in the basement of a nearby officetel and placed him under arrest. They recovered 16 vials of propofol and 145 syringes inside the vehicle. Investigators also observed injection marks on his left wrist at the time of arrest.

A told police he used propofol because he was suffering physically and mentally. Authorities say he has no prior convictions for similar offenses.

Police collected A’s blood and sent it to the National Forensic Service for analysis. If the results confirm drug use, prosecutors plan to add a charge of driving under the influence of drugs under the Road Traffic Act.

Investigators also plan to probe the veterinary clinic in Yangju that allegedly sold A the propofol.